Latest / Rusty's Garage / The Motorsport Brief | Cadillacs & potential conflict as F1 returns

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The Motorsport Brief | Cadillacs & potential conflict as F1 returns · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  Cadillacs and potential conflicts on this edition of the Motorsport Brief as Formula One fires back up after the summer break.
• 0:13
  Hi, everybody.
• 0:13
  Welcome to another edition of The Shortcast.
• 0:16
  Rusty here in the garage.
• 0:17
  Bit of reaction to a recent one on AI in motorsport too.
• 0:21
  Thank you for the feedback there.
• 0:22
  I tried to make that a bit of a panel convo, break it down with tech commentator Trevor Long, but Tom Moore from DJR also joined us, and he had some fascinating insights on things that we're starting to see in the supercars paddock and in the motorsport industry generally in our part of the world now, all around sports.
• 0:40
  AI and machine learning.
• 0:42
  That is worth a listen when you get the time.
• 0:44
  We were joined last week by Taylor Gill.
• 0:47
  Who's that?
• 0:48
  I hear some of you asking.
• 0:49
  Just a 21-year-old Australian who is leading the Junior World Rally Championship with one round to go.
• 0:56
  Great story.
• 0:57
  He's based in Finland now, but will jet back home next month for a run in a Yaris AP4 car on the New South Wales south coast.
• 1:05
  Those roads around Narooma are awesome.
• 1:07
  And the rumour will host a round of the ARC next year.
• 1:11
  Now, hopefully, that run is good training for what seems like a logical step on the world stage next year for Taylor.
• 1:19
  But first, he wants to claim that JWRC crown.
• 1:22
  He leads a handful of mathematical contenders going into the final event.
• 1:27
  That's the European rally in October.
• 1:30
  Nice to shine a bit of a light on him, and he's great in that media space too.
• 1:33
  Good talker.
• 1:34
  Just 10 races to go in Formula One.
• 1:37
  Oscar Piastri is top of the points ladder.
• 1:39
  I feel like we should revisit that after the summer break.
• 1:42
  He leads the race for the driver's crown by nine, only nine, over teammate Lando Norris.
• 1:48
  Going into his home race, Max Verstappen trails Norris by 88.
• 1:52
  He's third in the standings.
• 1:53
  McLaren,
• 1:54
  is a massive 299 points clear in the battle for the Constructors title.
• 1:59
  Mercedes less than 30 behind Ferrari, the red team currently second on that table.
• 2:05
  Red Bull Racing, this seems almost unthinkable.
• 2:08
  They're a distant fourth right now.
• 2:10
  Matt Hickey from Code Sports has been a good sport on a few occasions this year, joining us on The Garage.
• 2:16
  He's back from, I guess, sunning himself on a private yacht off Sardinia with the rest of the pit lane.
• 2:23
  Welcome, mate.
• 2:23
  In all seriousness, did I see a milestone birthday during the break?
• 2:27
  And if I did, congratulations.
• 2:29
  You're a good journalist, Rusty.
• 2:30
  You're spot on, yes.
• 2:31
  No, the big 3-0, but unlike most of the grid, I was in quite sad looking Melbourne with cold and rain.
• 2:38
  I wasn't sunning myself on a yacht, so not quite in that tax bracket just yet.
• 2:43
  Let's brighten your day then.
• 2:44
  We're getting into footy finals.
• 2:46
  That's big in that part of the world in Melbourne, obviously.
• 2:50
  for those that follow NRL beyond that around the country too.
• 2:53
  That can be hard for motorsport to get column space in the month of September.
• 2:59
  Do you reckon that's kind of changing in your office?
• 3:01
  Is there interest in Formula One generally and what Oscar's doing?
• 3:05
  And is that kind of shifting the sentiment a little bit?
• 3:09
  Because there was a time where motorsport was looked down a little bit by those that covered the ballcodes.
• 3:14
  Yeah, no, it's a really interesting point and I think a valid one, but the sheer popularity of the sport now, it's impossible to deny it the appropriate space where whoever and wherever you're publishing, right?
• 3:28
  It's stunning.
• 3:29
  It's one of the fastest growing sports in the entire world, as we know.
• 3:31
  Obviously, Drive to Survive had a massive impact on that.
• 3:34
  And then you throw on the fact that Oscar Piastri is doing what he is doing.
• 3:38
  And there's a buzz.
• 3:39
  There's a real buzz that we might have one.
• 3:41
  I think we do have one.
• 3:43
  And the race to the end of the season is going to be enthralling.
• 3:47
  And hopefully it results in a championship and a big front page.
• 3:52
  It's easy.
• 3:52
  to forget that the turnaround for McLaren in just a few short years is really remarkable can they sort of do that in balance with the title fight they've got between their two drivers and without it impacting on next year's car too and the fact that we've got a significant regulation change so they're going to pour all this energy into those two and what's on the immediate horizon but you can't do that at the expense of next year and remaining competitive either can you?
• 4:20
  Yeah, it's one of the fascinating things about the sport and certainly that you would have seen over the years.
• 4:26
  Trying to find that balance, some teams nail it, some teams don't, and we don't really know until next year as to how they fared when trying to achieve that balance.
• 4:35
  I think McLaren have such an advantage that they probably have the space to give a little for next year and still keep their noses out in front.
• 4:43
  I mean, we see how far in front...
• 4:45
  They are in the Constructors' Championship.
• 4:46
  Both of their drivers look almost untouchable at the moment.
• 4:49
  They are just a mile ahead of the rest of the pack.
• 4:51
  Although I think in future they're going to be known as Mastercard McLaren, which I'm not too sure about, but anyway.
• 4:56
  But I think they'll be able to afford a little bit of room to 2026 just because they're so far in front at the moment.
• 5:04
  You see yarns, and these might be perhaps driven a bit by the team, but you see them about Lando and Oscar fundamentally getting on well, and I'm sure it is cordial, maybe not as explosive as the kind of inter-team rivalries that we've seen over the years.
• 5:21
  Can you see this in the remaining 10 races becoming a bit Nico Rosberg versus Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2016, or will they be able to keep a lid on that better?
• 5:33
  Look, I think there will be a point in the back half of the season.
• 5:37
  Now, whether it reaches... Got to be, doesn't there?
• 5:39
  There has to be, right?
• 5:40
  Whether it reaches the scales of what we've seen in the past with teammate rivalry, I'm not sure.
• 5:46
  But I just get the feeling there is going to be a big moment in the run home that's really going to shape the conversation and the final stretch.
• 5:54
  I also believe that they'll probably...
• 5:57
  There's going to be one or two races where something big happens, whether it's a mechanical fault, which we haven't really seen at all for McLaren this year, but very rarely do teams go through unscathed in that regard to one of the two drivers, which is really going to change the look of the standings.
• 6:12
  But I would be shocked if something didn't happen in the back half because the law of averages suggested as to.
• 6:19
  Which, again, makes it unmissable, right?
• 6:21
  Because we don't want that to happen, but the thought of that happening potentially happens.
• 6:26
  means we'll be glued.
• 6:28
  Oscar's calm and consistency, they're the major assets for him going into this.
• 6:33
  But you and I have talked a couple of times now, write Lando off at your peril.
• 6:38
  I mean, what he's done, particularly in recent races, maybe since Monaco onwards, I think is to be applauded.
• 6:45
  People who love this sport, love pondering the strengths of rivals, what they might bring to the table and so on.
• 6:53
  What do you see as Norris's...
• 6:55
  ace or aces in his hand for these 10 races, do you reckon?
• 7:01
  Yeah, I think having that extra few years in the sport is always going to be a bonus.
• 7:09
  And I think that will help Lando down the stretch.
• 7:11
  I think the other important thing or the intriguing thing to me is that he's had potentially his little tough period.
• 7:18
  We don't know how the rest of the season is going to play out, but towards the start of the year, which has given himself time to kind of gather.
• 7:24
  He's had that brain fade that we saw, well, I was about to say a few weeks ago, but after break a few months ago.
• 7:30
  And now he's had time to just regather himself and maybe not get flustered during this big run home because he's had that little moment, that little hurdle that now he's gotten himself over.
• 7:42
  I think that will be really important mentally for him.
• 7:44
  He can now see the stretch home.
• 7:46
  He's gaining some momentum into the back half of the season, which we all know is so crucial.
• 7:51
  Yeah.
• 7:51
  I think for Lando, that is where his advantages will lie as we head towards the back end of the season.
• 7:58
  Max just won't because he's not programmed that way.
• 8:01
  But can you see Red Bull, now that you talked constructors points there before, whatever they are, a distant kind of fourth in the race, can you see them almost getting to the point where they go, let's just write this year off.
• 8:11
  We've had a couple of changes in the second seat and it's been tough for us, et cetera.
• 8:15
  Let's focus on 26 and getting that right with Ford and so on.
• 8:22
  I can, but also with the...
• 8:26
  It's hard to describe what Max Verstappen is, but with the, I guess, the raging bull, maybe not the red bull that Max Verstappen is, it's very hard to deny him trying to give him the best car possible because he is undeniable when he has that at his fingertips.
• 8:42
  I also think that even if they do decide to do that, he will make the car...
• 8:47
  overperformed so much to the point that he will still be a factor at the front end of the grid.
• 8:52
  So I'm not sure we'll necessarily be able to tell from Max's performance, but maybe in the other Red Bull we'll be able to see if they're starting to look forward to 2026.
• 9:01
  That's actually a really good point you make, the impact of the others that are capable of stealing points, if you will, from McLaren or from Lando and Oscar respectively.
• 9:12
  What chance of Ferrari doing a bit more of that, do you think?
• 9:17
  Yeah, look, they've got the talent.
• 9:19
  We know we've seen flashes of how good the car is.
• 9:21
  I'm a Charles Leclerc fan.
• 9:23
  I'll never deny that.
• 9:26
  I think he's fantastic.
• 9:27
  He's great with the media.
• 9:29
  I think he's very much himself, which is fantastic too.
• 9:31
  So...
• 9:32
  There are chances of stealing points.
• 9:33
  I think as we've seen, there's going to be moments here and there where randomly maybe the McLaren car doesn't quite look suited to a certain track or whatever it might be, and we'll see the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari popping up.
• 9:46
  How often, it's hard to judge because, as I said, McLaren have been so powerful and so strong.
• 9:51
  And then, like you mentioned, we've got these 2026 regulations, so how does every team play it?
• 9:56
  It's going to be fascinating to see how it pans out, not just at the top of the grid but towards the bottom as well because, of course, Cadillac coming too.
• 10:03
  let's go there then uh perez and and valtteri bottas are sergio's back so is valtteri next year that kind of makes sense to have a driver lineup um like that i think both of them feel like they have nothing to prove but they bring a lot to the table for this um can this team be better than cellar dwellers and perhaps surprise us next year or is it just going to be such a huge mountain to start the climb on
• 10:26
  I think it'll be a big mountain early.
• 10:28
  I think they, of course, the timing has been worked out well in terms of the new regulations come in.
• 10:33
  So they're not necessarily going to be a mountain behind, which is obviously a strategic decision.
• 10:39
  Like you said, the driver pairing, I think fantastic.
• 10:41
  You need as much feedback on a new car as you can possibly get as early as you can get it.
• 10:46
  And you're going to get that with two really experienced drivers.
• 10:49
  I'd be fascinated to hear what you think, Rusty, of what this is going to look like in 2026 with a new team.
• 10:55
  Are we going to see him score a point from years past?
• 10:58
  What do you reckon?
• 10:59
  I think that would be your target in year one.
• 11:03
  If you can just...
• 11:04
  Do a few things like that that show that you're putting the ingredients in the right places and starting that build the right way.
• 11:14
  If you can claw a couple of points like that, I reckon that's a real win for them in 2026.
• 11:20
  Yeah, I think if they can, as you said, squeeze into a top 10 or maybe squeeze into a Q2 or a shot Q3 at a track, I think it'll be really good signs and promising signs to hopefully a bit of longevity.
• 11:33
  Can we get you to stick around for a little bit longer?
• 11:35
  Sounds good to me.
• 11:36
  All right, more on F125 and the critical second half of the season right after this.
• 11:45
  Hope you're enjoying this ep of Rusty's Garage.
• 11:47
  We will be at the Singapore Grand Prix and the Bathurst 1000 in October, as well as MotoGP at Phillip Island.
• 11:53
  Huge month for motorsport.
• 11:55
  Right now, though, the convo on F1 and this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort continues with our guest, Matt Hickey from CodeSports.
• 12:05
  Hey, it's been pretty quiet on the Christian Horner front.
• 12:08
  Someone said to me the other day, is he a chance of walking away altogether?
• 12:13
  Made good money, won world championships with one of the best teams in the game in two special chapters, Vettel and Verstappen.
• 12:21
  They've had more winners on their books since then, obviously.
• 12:24
  Do you think he could do that or is there more chance of hell freezing over?
• 12:26
  I mean, he just loves the sport so much that you can't not see him coming back.
• 12:30
  Also married a Spice girl, which is potentially another reason to hang around at home.
• 12:35
  But look, just a bull of a competitor, no pun intended.
• 12:41
  It's very hard to see him completely walking away from the sport.
• 12:45
  However, he's left in such a manner in the last few years has been relatively tumultuous for Christian with some things that have been popping up in the headlines.
• 12:55
  I don't think out of this world to imagine him going, all right, maybe I've just had enough for now and potentially a year or two out of the game.
• 13:03
  And he's got young kids, I believe, from memory.
• 13:06
  So to hang around and maybe be with them a little bit more.
• 13:10
  But I get the feeling we will somewhere down the track, whether it's in a month or a year or five years, we'll see Christian Horner somewhere.
• 13:19
  Alex Pillow from IndyCar has been linked to that second Red Bull seat.
• 13:23
  Chip Ganassi's been pretty quick to kind of torpedo that and say it's clickbait.
• 13:28
  Will he?
• 13:29
  Won't he?
• 13:30
  Could he cut it?
• 13:30
  Do you reckon I'm an ultra-competitive racer?
• 13:34
  Yeah, look, I think all of these guys are so, so skilled that they would all...
• 13:39
  not be miles off, but as we know in F1, it's a matter of tenths of seconds and two tenths of seconds.
• 13:46
  I think with time, he would definitely...
• 13:50
  have the quality to do it.
• 13:51
  But as we've seen so often in that Red Bull second seat, they don't give anybody the time.
• 13:57
  So I would be fascinated if they went with an untested person at this level.
• 14:02
  Of course, we've seen him be fantastic elsewhere, just purely based off what they've done previously.
• 14:07
  Because if you're not going to give somebody the time to get used to it, then you need to get somebody experienced straight into the door.
• 14:12
  It does seem like that move would be...
• 14:16
  not 180, but a real break from tradition for someone like Helmut Marko.
• 14:21
  You're absolutely right there.
• 14:22
  A good battle for the miners at the moment.
• 14:24
  When we look further down the constructors' standings, what is it?
• 14:26
  If I've got the numbers right, William 70, Aston Martin 52, Sauber 51, Racing Bulls 45.
• 14:32
  And you could even throw, I guess, Haas in there as well, who I think are about 10 points behind RB.
• 14:38
  That little game will be worth watching over the final 10 races as well, won't it?
• 14:43
  Certainly, I love these little battles down the order because all of a sudden those one or two points for 10th and 9th become stunningly crucial.
• 14:51
  And if somebody can somehow catapult themselves into Q3 and maybe get towards 7th, 8th, 6th, it's a game changer.
• 14:59
  So I think it's going to be really fascinating.
• 15:02
  There's also a team down the bottom who might have done some things to an Australian driver that we weren't too thrilled about, and maybe down the bottom's not a bad spot for them, Rusty, but it's one of those...
• 15:14
  I still haven't heard whether Franco Kelpinto's five-race trial is over yet, but...
• 15:19
  It is.
• 15:20
  There's going to be some fascinating things down that order.
• 15:22
  I think Williams maybe have separated themselves in that fifth spot.
• 15:26
  But as you say, Aston Martin down.
• 15:28
  Yeah, it's going to be really close.
• 15:31
  And as everybody knows, millions of dollars at stake as well.
• 15:34
  Fernando, what is he now?
• 15:35
  44 or something or other.
• 15:37
  And all the eyes on 2026 and working with...
• 15:44
  Adrian on what hopefully will be a good card.
• 15:46
  That would be insane to think he was fighting for podiums potentially next year.
• 15:52
  Yeah, phenomenal.
• 15:53
  And I also get the feeling he's got something up his sleeve at some race to end this year to really have a big say in that fight down the constructors as well.
• 16:02
  It's remarkable what he's doing at the moment.
• 16:04
  He's a freak of an athlete.
• 16:05
  A couple to finish.
• 16:06
  Daniel Ricciardo popped up at a conference on the Gold Coast recently.
• 16:10
  Looks real...
• 16:11
  kind of bear grills on us with that massive beard that he's, he says his time in Formula One is done.
• 16:17
  Could you maybe see him doing a, I posed this question on radio the other day, maybe a little one-off thing, you know, go and do a Bathurst 1000, go and do a, I don't know, Le Mans 24 Hour.
• 16:28
  I still feel like he's got racer in him, even though he's off and enjoying life beyond motorsport at the moment.
• 16:34
  I mean, as we see with most of these guys, it's very hard for them to completely walk away from the sport because that competitive juice never really dies off.
• 16:43
  It would be fantastic.
• 16:44
  Can you imagine the roar at Mount Panorama if you went round at Bathurst?
• 16:48
  It would be unbelievable.
• 16:51
  It would be incredible.
• 16:53
  I just really, and I'm a massive Daniel Ricciardo fan.
• 16:56
  It's just fantastic to see him.
• 16:58
  I think he's really enjoying his time away.
• 17:00
  We know how difficult it was for him at the back end of his F1 career, chopping and changing teams, getting so much criticism and maybe unwarranted feedback as well.
• 17:11
  So he seems to be really enjoying himself away from the spotlight, and I'm sure at some point we will get a little taste of Daniel Ricciardo here or there.
• 17:18
  Maybe it might even be in the States.
• 17:19
  We know his love for NASCAR and things like that as well.
• 17:22
  As always, you have been awesome.
• 17:24
  Congrats on turning the big 3-0, and thank you for coming back on the pod again today.
• 17:27
  Cheers, Rusty.
• 17:29
  We are just about out of time for this one.
• 17:30
  Next week, the art of helmet painting with one of the best in the world, and he hails from our corner too.
• 17:38
  Enjoy the Dutch Grand Prix.
• 17:39
  Have an awesome weekend, everybody.
• 17:41
  Bye for now.